


Say Hello

by reijeux



Series: Say Hello Universe [1]
Category: Shingeki no Kyojin | Attack on Titan
Genre: Alternate Universe - Modern Setting, F/M, Fluff
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2014-01-30
Updated: 2014-01-30
Packaged: 2018-01-10 14:35:10
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,900
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/1160833
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/reijeux/pseuds/reijeux
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>It started with a bus stop.</p>
            </blockquote>





	Say Hello

**Author's Note:**

> Inspired from this fanart: http://platecaptain.tumblr.com/post/69337441704/  
> Because the photo keeps attacking my heart UGH.  
> I APOLOGIZE FOR EVERYTHING. I really just wanted to write something SUPER SIMPLE and SWEET (and short). So it actually might not be too interesting with how simple it is uH.  
> (I heavily debated as to whose PoV I wanted to write in, as Erwin’s seemed to be the best way to go, BUT you know, Mikasa won)  
> [Motivation to write this fic is thanks to platecaptain and the song Bloodstream by Stateless.]

She had never seen him before—or if she had, she didn’t remember. Not that it mattered, honestly, he was just a new face among the few people she was waiting with at the bus stop.

The new face was only a passing thought in her mind as she adjusted the strap of her laptop case over her shoulder before breathing into her scarf. With the weather growing chillier as of late, the temptation to stay in bed every morning instead of going to work was at an all-time high.

As the bus pulled up and everyone got onboard, she nodded at the new face as he moved out of the way to let her get on first.

 

 

He, as well as a couple of the other bus regulars, was already at the bus stop the following day by the time she arrived, standing by the sign as he busied himself with reading a book. She strolled over, adjusting her bag strap and stopping several steps away from him to wait.

After a minute or two of staring out into the street and breathing into her scarf, she glanced at the semi-new face, as if interested in what he was reading. The moment he turned the page and looked over, she resumed her staring at the street.

 

 

The next morning, she found herself rubbing her gloved hands together and practically burying her head in her scarf just to keep warm. The not-really-new-face had yet to arrive, if he was going to be there at all that day.

She couldn’t help but fume to herself. Why would she even care about that guy in the first place?

A tap on the shoulder made her jump and she turned.

“Sorry,” The not-really-new-face chuckled when he saw her jump. He held one coffee in both hands, both with logos telling her that he ordered them from the shop just around the corner.

He held one out to her, “You looked cold, so…”

One part of her felt that he was being shady as she accepted the coffee with a thank you. The other part couldn’t believe that he ordered a coffee she would actually enjoy as she carefully sipped.

Thankfully, it was small enough so she could finish it before the bus arrived.

 

 

The following morning was not as cold as the previous day, much to her relief; however, the not-new-face did not come to the bus stop at all. She couldn’t help but feel a little disappointed.

The following two days were her days off of work. She spent them doing paperwork and once in a while wondering what _he_ did when he wasn’t waiting for the bus.

 

 

It was snowing when she arrived at the bus stop on her next workday, and she saw him waiting with two coffees in hand.

She didn’t say anything when she reached him, and he handed her one of the coffees with a smile. Taking it with a thanks, neither said anything else as they waited with only one other person at the stop.

As she sipped her coffee, she noted how close they were standing together.

 

 

The following days continued on this way, and she couldn’t understand why. She found herself looking forward to these meetings every morning—and on that one morning a week when she didn’t see him (most likely his day off), she found herself stopping at the coffee shop to get her fill of what he had been getting for her.

She found this to be a nice change in her ever-so-busy schedule, and from the way things seemed, he believed the same for himself as well. They did not say much, however; they only stood side-by-side, enjoying the warmth of their drinks and what little they could feel radiating off the other.

She still didn’t ask for his name.

 

 

About a month after these exchanges started, she expected to get a coffee, as usual, but she did not expect to get a small, undecorated brown box with it.

“You can open it later,” was all he said. As curious as she was, the box was only slightly bigger than her hand,  a big part of her was guessing (and hoping) it was food.

When she reached work and made it to her desk, she situated herself before turning her attention to the box. Carefully sliding off the cover, she was met with a maple frosted donut and a note sticking to the bottom of the cover.

‘ _Happy 1 month coffee-versary! I hope you like maple :)  
If not, then I’ll pick out something better next time (but nothing is better than maple)_ ’

She didn’t realize how hard she had been smiling until she put the note down. Covering her mouth, she coughed and straightened herself out.

Well, that was nice.

 

 

Of course, the following day, she couldn’t help but feel a little embarrassed when she reached the bus stop and saw him there with a coffee for her.

He handed it over once she stood herself beside him and said nothing of the donut.

“…I do like maple, by the way.”

“That’s good. I’ve been stressing all day yesterday about it.”

She heard the amusement laced in his voice, but a part of her couldn’t help but feel as though he was actually serious about it.

 

 

The following month, she was sure to get something for him as well, since he was apparently making a grand effort to show her up as Mr. I-Remember-Coffee-Anniversaries-and-You-Don’t-Care.

She stopped by the bakery right after work the previous evening and bought a muffin, fitting it into a dull box just like the donut from before and writing a note for it before bed.

The trade-off of goods occurred that morning, and she read her note at work.

_‘Happy 2 month coffee-versary!  
Heard you like maple, so I hope this brings you a great day :)’_

She covered her face, unable to stop smiling.

 

 

The following day, they stood beside each other with coffees in hand.

“I had a great day, by the way.”

“That’s good. And I do like banana nut. But you did _not_ show me up.”

Mikasa hid her smile in her scarf, grateful that the weather was still cool enough to wear it. A slight glance at him showed her that he was smiling into his coffee.

 

 

The following month went the same way. She had trouble believing that their small exchanges and the like had been going on for this long.

She still didn’t know his name.

So with the note that went with the muffin, she was sure to include it.

When she opened her boxed donut at work the following day, she found the usual note and read it.

 _‘Happy 3 month coffee-versary!_  
You look great when you smile :)  
-Erwin’

She buried her face in her arms on her desk, letting out a breath to calm herself down. How did things turn out this way?

 

 

Months continued on this way, with pastry exchanges and notes telling the other things like having a nice day or the fact that one will be on a two-week vacation at some point and won’t be able to get coffee (frownie face).

And while the months continued, so did the butterflies in her stomach whenever she saw him or read through one of his notes. So did the light squeezing in her chest and the amount of times she had to hide her smile (which was difficult as the weather grew warmer, she didn’t wear her scarf).

It didn’t even feel like a year had gone by until she was writing ‘Happy 1 year coffee-versary’ on her note to him that she realized how much time had passed.

 

 

The note she received the following day made her gut fall.

 _‘Happy 1 year coffee-versary!_  
I’m sad to say that I will be transferring, so I will not be able to meet you at the bus stop anymore. :(  
-Erwin’

She turned the note, trying to find anything else he could have written that told her he was joking.

He hadn’t written anything else.

 

 

The following morning was met with an awkward air between the two, and she knew he could feel it as well.

“…Where are you going?”

“…Stockholm.”

“Oh. ….That’s far.”

“…Yeah.”

The tension grew thicker.

“…Today’s my last day”

“…Oh…”

She didn’t know what else to say, and was too busy focusing on her own thoughts that she jolted slightly when she felt him rest against her arm. She looked at him, only to see him staring ahead; she almost pulled away in surprise the moment she felt his hand touch hers, only to feel a small, folded piece of paper slip into her hand.

His voice was soft, and lacking the light-heartedness it usually held, “Read it when you get home tonight.”

 

 

The entire day dragged on. A part of her wanted to open the note and read it right away, but the other part told her that it would be best to wait until she got off work.

She completely forgot what it was like to have a bad day.

When she got home, the first thing she did was dress down and fix herself some tea. She left the note on the coffee table, mocking her, for the next couple of hours.

She was upset that the news was affecting her more than it should be.

 

 

By the time she could bring herself to unfold the note, she just finished eating dinner. Sitting on the couch, she breathed in as she started reading.

_‘Mikasa,_

_I knew for a while that this transfer was going to happen, but I couldn’t bring myself to tell you when I decided to accept the offer._

_I did enjoy our time together, albeit it was only at the bus stop, but I felt like I could truly cherish those moments. It has already been a year, and while I wish I had the chance to have more of those moments to get to know you even more, I feel like I’ve still learned much about you, even if what I’ve been taught were only the small things._

_I enjoyed making you smile, as you have made me._

_I’m never one to walk up to a stranger and say hello. I like moving passed that, starting small and working my way up._

_Distance is an issue, as we are both aware. However, what our time together has taught me is that while we don’t see or communicate often, I am never going to buy coffee or eat a muffin ever again without thinking of you._

_I’m willing to take the next step, though it is a very risky one, as long as you are, too._

_-Erwin_

She finished reading, and was met with a local number and an email address right below his name.

“A very risky one…” she murmured to herself, pulling out her phone. She dialed the number she was given and was greeted with his voice.

“This is Erwin.”

“If there are two things you don’t know about me,” she started, “they’re that I don’t say hello to people period…”

She heard him breathe out on the other end, “…and the other thing?”

“…if I didn’t take risks, I wouldn’t even be working at the job I have right now.”

She couldn’t help but smile at the very moment she heard him chuckle.

**End**


End file.
